On April 19, 2016, scientists confirmed that Freddie Mercury had one of the most extraordinary voices ever. A team of researchers from Austria, the Czech Republic and Sweden dedicated their research to the voice of Freddie Mercury.
Dr. Christian Herbst of the University of Vienna, in his article published in the journal Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology, wrote: "The emergence of subharmonics helps create the impression of a vocal system pushed to its limits, used with extreme mastery. These characteristics, combined with a fast and irregular vibrato, may have contributed to creating Freddie Mercury's eccentric and theatrical character ."
Scientists discovered that Freddie Mercury's vocal cords moved at a faster speed than others. His vibrato, typically oscillating between 5.4 and 6.9 Hz, reached 7.04 Hz, a frequency so high that it vibrated the throat in a way that not even Pavarotti was able to replicate.
Freddie demonstrated a mastery of subharmonics, a singing style only manageable by Tuvan singers, and did so with disarming ease. The conclusion was unequivocal: Freddie Mercury possessed a unique voice in the Rock 'n' Roll panorama, making him one of the most singular artists.
Freddie's vocal range spanned 4 octives - from Baritone to Mezza Soprano. Freddie Mercury used subharmonics, a technique where the ventricular folds (false vocal cords) vibrate along with the vocal folds. This creates a lower note that can be heard along with the main note, giving the impression of singing multiple notes at the same time.
He also used harmonics, which are the natural overtones produced by the vocal folds, to create a rich and complex sound. Freddie Mercury had a very fast vibrato, which is a slight fluctuation in pitch that adds expression and texture to the voice. His vibrato rate was higher than most, even reaching 7.04 Hz, while a typical vibrato is between 5.4 and 6.9 Hz.
While these techniques allowed him to create complex and layered vocal sounds, they did not involve multiple individuals or multiple vocal parts singing in harmony, which is the traditional and accurate definition of polyphonic singing.